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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · band · pitch · mug · chest · fine · mouse · date

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fine — high quality
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chest — of your body
  7. last — to go on
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. band — a ring
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. date — the fruit
  15. last — finally
  16. pitch — completely
  17. band — a music group
  18. last — final
  19. mug — a face
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mug — a cup
  22. fine — all right
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com